Players of FC Zenit and Krasnodar will remain under arrest until December 8. The court refused to release them despite all the arguments of the defense.

The Moscow City Court rejected the appeals of football players Pavel Mamayev and Alexander Kokorin defense, which asked to change the measure of restraint. Thus, they have to spend at least two months in the SIZO.

FC Zenit stood up for attacker Alexander Kokorin, sending a petition for the release of the player signed by club president Sergey Fursenko. Kokorin’s characteristics stated that the club condemns his actions, but considers him “abnormal.” Judge Julia Manerkina pointed out that the president of Zenit cannot be considered a person who has the right to submit petitions. “But the opinion and characteristics will be taken into account,” the judge noted, RIA Novosti quotes. Also, Zenit coach Sergey Semak asked to release Kokorin on personal bail.

Lawyer Pavel Mamayev said that the arrest would damage the health and professional skills of the athlete. “I ask you to save a talented player for Russian football,” said Igor Bushmanov. He also recalled that Mamayev has two small children.

Another participant in the brawls, the younger brother of football player Kokorin, 19-year-old Kirill, who is also accused of hooliganism and beatings, will remain in custody. “He is a very young guy; he is 19 years old. He could no testify... He does not pose any threat to society. He is a child,” Vyacheslav Barik, Kirill Kokorin’s lawyer, appealed to the court, RIA Novosti reports.

The footballer’s brother also indicated that he did not understand how his arrest could help the investigators. “I don’t understand how I can escape from the investigation, I passed all the passports,” he said.

Pavel Mamayev and Alexander Kokorin were arrested by the Tverskoy court decision on October 11. They remain until December 8. Football players are charged under Art. 116 of the Criminal Code (Battery) and part 2 of Art. 213 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (Hooliganism by an organized group). After the arrest, they were sent to the quarantine chambers of the Butyrka detention facility. On October 14, Pavel Mamayev declared that “he would not wish anyone to be here.”

Zenit and Krasnodar players Alexander Kokorin and Pavel Mamayev initiated several scuffles in Moscow on October 8. At first, they attacked the driver of the TV presenter of Channel One, who passed a remark to them. The attack hit the CCTV footages.

As a result, the man suffered a fracture of the nose and a head injury. Later, the players and a group of young people accompanying them went to a cafe, where they attacked Denis Pak, the head of the department of the Ministry of Industry and Trade. According to the victim’s lawyer, the athletes began to mock the official "because of his race." Pak was hit on the head with a chair.